Christopher Paolini is finally giving us a new Eragon adventure in the world of Alagaësia as it’s been announced that ‘The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm – Tales from Alagaësia (Volume 1: Eragon)’ is slated to be released later this year! It has been seven years since the release of ‘Inheritance,’ and fans have been chomping at the bit to get back into the action. The wait is over as this new book is “a collection of three short stories interspersed with scenes from Eragon’s own adventures!”
The collection will clock in at 288 pages which is just over half the length of the original ‘Eragon,’ but as we already know, these are a collection of short stories that shouldn’t come as too surprising.
As to what stories can be found within this new collection:
A wanderer and a cursed child. Spells and magic. And dragons, of course. Welcome back to the world of Alagaësia.
It’s been a year since Eragon departed Alagaësia in search of the perfect home to train a new generation of Dragon Riders. Now he is struggling with an endless sea of tasks: constructing a vast dragonhold, wrangling with suppliers, guarding dragon eggs, and dealing with belligerent Urgals and haughty elves. Then a vision from the Eldunarí, unexpected visitors, and an exciting Urgal legend offer a much-needed distraction and a new perspective.
This volume features three original stories set in Alagaësia, interspersed with scenes from Eragon’s own unfolding adventure. Included is an excerpt from the memoir of the unforgettable witch and fortune-teller Angela, the herbalist… penned by Angela Paolini, the inspiration for the character, herself!
As a bonus to these new short stories, Paolini also included four new pieces of original artwork that can be found within the book. These will feature an illustration for each of the three stories as well as a new map. On top of that, the cover was created by John Jude Palencar who has illustrated the “Inheritance Cycle” covers for years.
Speaking about the new book, Paolini exclaimed:
“Greetings Friends! After so many years spent working on other projects, it was an enormous pleasure to return to the world of Alagaësia with The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm. Writing about Eragon and Saphira again felt like arriving home after a long journey. These stories mean a great deal to me, and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. (They are but the first taste of many more to come.) Prepare yourselves, Dragon Riders. Things are not always what they seem. . . .”
Co-author Angela Paolini also had a couple of words to share about both her story and the collection:
“It was an honor and a delight to give words to the character Angela the herbalist, who bears my name. Christopher and I had collaborated informally before, but this marks the first time I have written from the herbalist’s point of view. In this story, we glimpse a few key moments from the enigmatic witch’s extraordinary life and get a hint at her future plans.”
Oh, as a bonus it should be noted for fans that this isn’t the fifth book in the series which is still being written but an extra on top of the next installment.
Are you eagerly looking forward to new stories set int he world of Alagaësia? Will this tide you over until the long-awaited fifth book in the series? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
‘The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm’ will be available in your local bookstore at the end of the year on December 31st, 2018!
